Chapter 8

After waiting for the other end to calm down a bit, she finally spoke. "Liv, remember the distant cousin you once told me about..." "Which one?" Olivia sounded confused for a second. "The one who's still single, your family keeps bugging him to get married?" "Oh! Him!" Her voice shot up instantly, filled with disbelief and excitement. "Why are you asking about him? Wait... don't tell me-you finally came around?" Calliope let out a quiet "Yeah." "Is he still looking to get married?" "Heck yes! Always has been!" Olivia nearly jumped off the couch, her voice climbing with excitement. "Let me tell you, my cousin is drop-dead gorgeous-he's 6'2", broad shoulders, slim waist, super long legs. Dressed, he looks sharp. Shirt off? Even better." "Only thing is, he's kinda grumpy, a bit cold... meh, you'll see when you meet him." "But I guarantee, he's solid! Way better than Lucien, that polished jerk with a trashy core!" While Olivia kept hyping her cousin, Calliope's lips twitched into a faint smile. "Liv, think you could set up a meeting?" "Say no more, I've got you! I'll hit him up right now! But hey, Cal-you sure about this?" Calliope's tone was calm. "Yeah. I need a marriage." There was a few seconds of silence on Olivia's end before her voice turned serious. "Cal... is this because Lucien called off the wedding? You're not just doing this to prove something, right?" "It's not out of spite," Calliope cut her off. "My head's clear, Liv. I'll explain more later. For now, just help me arrange the meeting. The sooner the better." "Alright. Sit tight. I'll let you know as soon as it's set." Olivia worked fast. That same night she sent the text: [Done! I sent your photo to my cousin-he says he's free tomorrow! Bring your ID and meet him at the marriage registration center at 9 AM sharp!] [He's all about efficiency, lol!] Calliope raised an eyebrow. Efficiency, huh? Perfect. That was exactly what she needed-no dragging things out. ***** Next morning, just as the sky started to lighten. Calliope stood outside the marriage registration center, holding her ID in one hand. She wore a white dress with a beige knit cardigan over it. Hair casually pulled up, the curve of her neck graceful and bare. Olivia wasn't joking-her cousin really was the type who valued time. At exactly 9 o'clock, a tall figure walked up, lit by the morning sun at his back. He was seriously tall, probably over 6'2". Just a black T-shirt and cargo pants - nothing flashy, but on him, it looked like a magazine spread. Broad shoulders, narrow waist, and legs for days. The kind of man you feel before you even see. As he got closer, Calliope finally saw his face clearly. Her heart skipped. It was him.